The bolt had worn/corroded at the ball joint locations and I guess with lots of use formed a new shape.Arms were a mess too .....joints were 'floppy' to say the least.

Guess it was only time before it would have broken.

Smiled as I drifted the remains of the bolt out then searched out the new upper arms which had been gathering dust for weeks and hey ho the flaming new pinch bolts are missing from the kit of parts... damm 5 pm Saturday .....back to Audi Monday then.....

So if you have a low speed clunking and a bit of less that tight steering come join the pinch bolt club.

Oh and don't ever believe that Bentley how too video on You Tube....lies...all...lies

Pain aren't they! Found it helps a little to take the strain off the arms by having a jack under the lower suspension and holding it at more like a normal ride height. Then (although ELSA tells not to) using various wedge like tools in the gap and banging it in to widen it.

I wouldn't recommend spreading the gaps, especially on the alloy uprights! If you have to resort to cutting etc., then cut the head off the bolt (not the nut), or over torque it to shear it off with the nut backed off, then after lots of plus gas or similar, tighten the nut onto the bolt more as this will (hopefully) pull the bolt through the upright without resorting to hitting things. If the uprights are the steel ones & you are replacing the top arms anyway, then heating the area up will definitely help.

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